Question: I just finished watching Amadeus (I know, I'm 20 years late) and was wondering if you can tell me if that was a true story or a fictionalized depiction of the relationship between Mozart and Salieri?
Answer: Amadeus (1984), which was based on the 1981 play by Peter Shaffer, draws on historical fact but is fundamentally a work of fiction. Shaffer spun a rip-snorting philosophical inquiry from the rumor that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was poisoned by fellow composer Antonio Salieri (1750-1825). Mozart was a musical prodigy — he began composing at age 6 — and toured constantly from the time he was a child, performing for wealthy, aristocr
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